But this I disagree with:

"If, on the other hand, they pursue an exclusively non-violent strategy, it will not be so easy for the United States to turn a blind eye to their situation."

Wrong. I said publicity is essential for nonviolent protest to be effective. There have been almost 150 protest marches in Bil'in, West Bank every Friday, some involving as many as 500 people from a variety of Israeli and Palestinian peace organizations plus internationals. Have you heard of even one of them? Well, maybe if your were blogging in the liberal wilderness and saw a publication by myself or some other propeace activist.

That is the point you're not getting. When Palestinians have resorted to peaceful protest, the press was silent. They only seem to find reason to publish something when Palestinian violence is entailed because that is what the Israeli armed forces communication services feeds the press.

This is not also to say that suicide bombing is justified, ever. But I have often covered this issue and see them as atrocities committed in retaliation for IDF committed atrocities again Palestinian civilians including children. That is at least what the data say. Do you think those 27 children who were shot in the head, before a suicide bombing occurred, were intentionally shot in the head by IDF soldiers. Well, in the next three months of the Second Intifada, another 159 Palestinian children, presumably rock throwing Intifada boys and girls, lost an eye to rubber bullets from IDF rifles. Do you think the IDF were intentionally head shooting? That they were shooting at children at all to me is appalling.

None of the latter information on Palestinian child deaths and head shooting ever got into the American press. So you wonder why Palestinians would resort to violence? At some point, the ineffectiveness of the peace activists becomes obvious, or I would suppose. It didn't change anything. Should we also blame silent newspaper editors in American for part of this tragedy?

I think so.